GS students exchange past experiences for future careers in film

Many Columbia film studies majors spend as much time wrapping their heads around dense readings as they do wringing their hands over the future.

Coming from a program concerned more with theory than production logistics, Columbia undergraduates with filmmaking aspirations find it difficult to embark on a career. There are no easy answers for prospective filmmakers, but looking at the experiences of film studies majors from the School of General Studies might offer some clarity and context.

Debra Moore and Russell Calkins, GS, both worked at animation studios in Portland in addition to various freelance filmmaking jobs before coming to Columbia and are acutely aware of the risks involved in pursuing film professionally. Moore said the investment in studying at Columbia is worth it: “I feel like I’m on a different level with my filmmaking.” But she warned, “You give up a certain amount of control and I feel like a certain amount of stability when you decide to get into film.”

“It’s the classic line, ‘I don’t have a career, I have jobs,’” Calkins added, explaining the competitive nature of freelancing. “There are a lot of talented people who want to do this [filmmaking].”
Though Moore and Calkins know from experience that seeking a career in film will be daunting and unpredictable, they have decided the personal gains outweigh the risks. “On some level, it’s whatever gets you up in the morning,” Calkins explained. “It gets you excited to do it everyday.”

Rob Caudy, GS, also relates to the idea of choosing a career one can be passionate about. Caudy knew from a young age that he wanted to be a filmmaker, but understanding its instability, reluctantly chose a 14-year career on Wall Street. “I was trying to be practical and provide for my family,” he said of his career choices, “but I always wanted to come back to film.”

Caudy told himself he would return to film after reaching strong financial stability, but said, “When I finally had money, that was when I kind of realized it doesn’t matter.” Now, Caudy is developing several projects, including a screenplay that was selected for Columbia University Film Production’s (CUFP) second annual production season.

Tamriko Bardadze, GS, also thinks it’s key for students to actively seek production opportunities to hone their skills before graduation. “I don’t think that teachers are obligated to give you the camera,” she said. “I think it’s up to every person.”

Bardadze came to Columbia from Russia, where she already had a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Management. “But I never really wanted to be an economist,” Bardadze said. While studying in Russia, she held three entertainment-related jobs, including creating and hosting her own successful TV show.

Bardadze was drawn to film because of the way it weaves together her wide-ranging artistic interests. As she studies at Columbia, she also is going outside of class to gain on-set experience and hopes to learn enough to kick-start her own projects in the near future.

Jason Eldredge, GS, is pursuing his interest in film, but has not abandoned his earlier career. “I still have one foot in the music business,” Eldredge said, who worked as a disc jockey and a music supervisor for film and television in L.A.—a job that transitions well into his directorial ambitions. Now in New York, he still DJs and hosts a Friday show on East Village Radio.

Lukas Huffman, GS, has since left a 10-year career as a professional snowboarder, and is currently seeking opportunities through coursework and outside projects to help launch himself into filmmaking. He is active in on-campus production groups and uses summers to shoot his own projects, recently filming a short in Romania. Huffman is using his course and extra-curricular work to build a reel and writing portfolio, which he eventually plans to use to get representation.

Though he stressed how the theory-based program requires students to take exhaustive steps to pursue production outside of class, Huffman said the more rounded liberal arts approach is ultimately of value to a student’s “creative and intellectual capacity.”

“That’s a big tool that is more difficult to develop on your own,” he said.